By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Makhudu Sefara has stepped aside as South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF) chairperson pending investigation over Special Investigating Unit (SIU) Lottery fund allegations.
Sefara decision follows Sanef management committee meeting on Tuesday.
His company, Unscripted Communication, received four payments from Todi Media Foundation totalling R550,000 between 21 November and 12 December 2018 for a lottery-funded “media” project, according to the SIU.
A R1.5-million grant paid to Todi was meant to cover “journalists’ accommodation, car hire, catering, equipment rental, guest speakers, marketing, security, etc.,” according to the SIU.
But the funds were not used for their intended purpose, the SIU said. Instead, R550,000 was paid to Sefara’s company, and a further R900,000 was paid to Black Danagaree, owned by Daniel Malatji, the father of former Sunday World acting editor Ngwako Malatji.
Sefara released a statement saying that when he received the funds, he was running a “private firm not attached to any institution, private or public”.
He said he had run a training workshop for 50 print and radio journalists at a venue near OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg.
“The facts are plain and available to the SIU,” he said. “The event has taken place and was attended by over 50 people. Pictures and videos were taken at the event. Accommodation was paid for. Flights were booked and paid for. The event was addressed by the GCIS deputy head at the time, along with other speakers. I facilitated the event.”
Nwabiso Makunga, the managing director for news at Arena, the owner of the Sunday Times, said in a statement: “Mr Sefara has denied any wrongdoing and has provided the company with his account of the events in question.”
“Having considered the matter, management has resolved to afford Mr Sefara the necessary time and space to address the allegations and to seek to clear his name. Arena Holdings will appoint an independent investigator to undertake a comprehensive review of all relevant facts and circumstances surrounding the matter.”
The SIU said that Todi had repaid the grant to it.
According to Sanef statement, Sefara was afforded an opportunity to give version of his events, where he denied the allegations. Instead, he offered to step aside from his role while he is addressing the allegations.
Sanef mancom accepted accepted his decision to step aside and appointed Tshamano Makhadi as acting chairperson.
Furthermore, Sanef has appointed independent legal team to evaluate evidence and provide feedback.
In 2021 the NLC spent 46% of its media budget on Sunday World. Whereas the paper had an average weekly circulation of less than 32,000. By comparison, the Sunday Times, with an average weekly circulation of more than 117,000, got about 1% of the NLC’s media spend, as did Media24, despite News24 being the largest. Over three years, from 2020 to 2022, Sunday World received R24.7-million from the NLC for adverts. No reasonable explanation was offered for the unjustified amounts.
Sefara edited Sunday World in 2019 and 2020. He had previously served as spokesperson for fugitive Self-proclaimed Prophet Shepherd Bushiri, and editor of The Star and Sunday Independent. After Sunday World, he joined TimesLive, now with Sunday Times.